chill out folks.
1- Rags won't improve with Nash unless Gaborik comes storming back after being injured (unlikely). Dubie, Fedotenko, Prust & Anisimov were important in their last 2-3 years. Nash is overpaid & now moves from a division dominated by detroit to one where 4 of 5 teams are always contenders. He will rot in NY just like every other big name player who went there.
2- Pitt lost Staal. Nobody remembers this... Sutter will not fill his shoes. Crosby is 1 concussion away from more down-time. Fleury will be doubted all season & no improvements have been made on defense. Parise, Suter, Weber, Nash... big names passing on Pitt. Mebbe players are tired of revolving door trades they do to get fresh names, or mebbe they don't want to be 2nd fiddle to Sid & Geno anymore.
3- Philly passed on Jagr, JVR is out, Pronger still a no-go, & backup Bob is gone. Only Luke Schenn added thus far. Weber would be a huge addition for sure, but Nashville will likely meet that deal.

Devils lost Parise, but this entire division got a little weaker compared to last year. It's really time for new talent to prove their worth in NJ & they should be getting a lot more ice time to do it.

Give the kid another year to develop. Devils can wait another year with the group we've got.

Find a way to shore up our top 2 lines. It's more important to fill the hole left by Parise, & it'd be even better if NJ could get 2 guys either by trade or free agency. Zach did the work of 2 guys out there...

Robinson's defense foundation was always based on sound positioning and smart stick-work.

Mebbe Scotty Stevens can inject a little more physicality into the Devils defensive play. Guys like Volchenkov, Salvador, & Tallinder often get behind the play when making the physical plays. Also, Larsson could certainly use some schooling in how to take and dish out big hits.

I know they're far off... but get Urbom & Merill in the action too! I'm tired of Lou calling up veteran AHL'ers like Harrold & Leach. Devils defense was tiny & ignored all last year. Time for somebody to make a splash if this team's gonna repeat last year's performance.

Kreider got lucky & came in at just the right moment. I doubt he'll be anywhere near a successful this season. NHL regular reason is a whole different beast & it'll wear your down fast.
I doubt Lou will make the gamble on bringing Merill right into the big league

You don't just luck your way into the finals. Devils made it despite lackluster d-men because our forwards, through all 4 lines, were relentless in grinding out goals. Larsson will be stud d-man in time & that seems to be good enough for now...

Rags seriously need d-men. Last I checked Staal, McDonagh, & Girardi were the only 3 capable of keeping the puck outta their net. Even with DelZotto, they're only dressing 4 useful d-men & the bottom 2 are just worthless. This is why they lost vs NJ; play 14 games & see how tired 4 men doing the job of 6 will get.

I know 2013 draft is far off, but this seems like an absolute no brainer to me. Marty coaching his son in the future would be the best possible outcome if this kid has real talent. Marty's forgotten more about goaltending than any current start could hope to learn. The guy known for being a historian of the game & half the reason he's still playing is his smart analysis of the game.
Marty's style is so wacky that I doubt anybody playing a normal butterfly would learn as much from him. Anthony plays a hybrid style as well. Marty could teach him so much... the kid would have an instant edge on so many established players out there since his dad knows all their tricks.

Lou should draft this kid in our building come June 2013. Hope giving up that draft pick in 2013 or 14 won't take us out of the race for this kid, but he's still predicted to go 4th round or lower...

I'm sorry, but I don't want Parise's opinion. Not with how he up & left.
It'll most likely be Kovalchuk. Put an A on Zajac's jersey & when Elias leaves, put one on Henrique's.
I don't see Salvador or Greene giving much leadership. They're great guys, but they go out, do their job, & that seems to be it.

Don't get me wrong. I love all the swedes on this team & I wish they'd turn into important players for us. However I don't see anyone who's ready to step into the top 6 forward spot we just lost & it might mean we've gotta trade a prospect who's had a slow start.
I really want the devils to come out with a roster that looks good in october. We've seen all these faces before & I just don't see any one of them breaking out this year when they've all had enough time to make their mark.

My theory is similar to Fin's. Do more than one thing to fix this issue.
Sign Semin, trade for a physical player like E Kane or Bobby Ryan.
OR
Sign Doan, trade for a scorer like Havlat.

Parise is gone, & now we have tons of options. There's plentyof guys out there dissatisfied with rarely making the playoffs, or having a flukey 8th place try only to be dismissed after 1 round.
Please no Brian Gionta. We'd have to give away the world to get him back.
Please no Danny Heatley. He's over the hill. Also we don't want other Devils carpooling with him...
Lou, take this chance & expand depth from the top down. We've got plenty of bottom 6 forward depth.

Lou should trade some of our roster d-men : Zidlicky, Greene, Fayne
and/or a guy like Tedenby or JJo (as much as I really want both of these guys to take off)
Zubrus or Clarkson could become expendable really quickly too...

Lou had better not go out for only only talent like Shane Doan; this team cannot get EVEN OLDER. Kind of glad that Jagr is off the table already.
I'd be elated to see Bobby Ryan or E Kane in black n red & both have made signals that they're maybe dissatisfied with their team. AND THEY'RE YOUNG. There may be holes in their game, but we can help them improve.

Make a trade, sign a free agent.
Whats happening with Larry Robinson? Who will replace him if he goes? mebbe Scotty Stevens (I hope so)?
Who's replacing Oates?